Hunting Season
by walz iz cool
Summary: One night Iruka has an rather shocking encounter. He suddenly finds himself involved with totally new people, and soon finds himself rather attracted to an unkown ANBU. Kakairu GenRai
1. The Encounter

**HUNTING SEASON chapter 01**

The gentle sound of splashing water could be heard as one Umino Iruka washed the dishes that had been lying around his apartment since yesterday night. He sighed loudly as he thought about all the mess that Naruto's sleep over had brought with it. Not that he had any right to complain, he had had just as much fun as Naruto, and he was the one who asked the blond boy over in the first place. It was just that he wouldn't have minded if someone helped with clean-up too.

He heard a soft, humming voice coming from upstairs, indicating that Naruto was currently taking a shower, and would soon be in the kitchen, craving (quite loudly) for a quick meal. He put the dishes away and washed his hands and took out bread and other ingredients from the fridge that could be used to make sandwiches. And in no time, just as he had predicted, the sound of someone running down the stairs could be heard.

"NARUTO! Don't run in the house!"

The only warning was a loud "Haaai!" before a golden blur attached itself to his waist, almost knocking him over.

"Ne, ne, what are we eating for breakfast, ne?"

Iruka rolled his eyes at the young boy's behaviour. How did he love this boy so much? With a smile he carried on with the task of making breakfast, thinking how lucky he indeed was.

"Sandwiches? YES ! "

3 3 3 - - SCENE BREAK - - 3 3 3

It was only 7:15 in the morning when he left his apartment and headed towards the academy. He had cleaned up the most of the mess after Naruto left, but he still had to do laundry and clean the bathroom. The part of the house that had taken the worst damage was the bedroom, that had been the battle dome for numerous pillow fights and 'the Buzzer Game' as Naruto called it. The Buzzer Game was a simple game where you had to come up with the a prank and then try to show with body language who was being prank ed and how, while the other kept throwing guesses. The one with the best prank (or rather, the _funniest_) at the end of the night was declared as a winner and won a piece of ice cream from the packet that Iruka stored in the fridge.

Surprisingly, it had been Iruka who won this time, though he had to say that the prank he used in the game was an old one, and he was still about it. Not many could succeed in pranking ANBU, even less Genin. Attacking the ANBU showers at the headquarters had been a brilliant idea, as that was the place that they least expected anything to happened. It had been really amusing to see the four ANBU operatives that had been unlucky enough to shower as first, all covered in different, shiny summercolors.

What was even funnier, was that the colours weren't completely waterproof, so the red colour had faded to pink when it blended with water. The colour soon washed away from skin, but the colour would not hair, and so they all walked around with colourful hairs _for weeks. _Though all of them tried masking the hair colour, but keeping up a genjutsu that would fool other Jounin and ANBU simply took too much chakra so one of them locked himself inside four walls and would not show his face before the colour had vanished.

What was best was that he hadn't even officially been caught for it. The Yondaime just showed up at his house the next day and congratulated him for his successful prank, while at the same time making him promise to not do pranks _in forbidden areas. _

So this time, he won his piece of ice cream, and Naruto ate the rest. Somehow Naruto's logic didn't seem to add together, but he let it go when he saw the happy face of Naruto as he smiled with his mouth full of ice cream.

He continued his walk towards the academy at a peaceful pace and greeted mothers and other by passers every now and then. He didn't know why, but for some reason he attracted people to come and talk with him, were it old ladies or graduated students of his. Long ago when he had realized it, he came up with a game of counting the time people greeted him on his way to the academy. His record stood at 64 at the moment, which was quite remarkable as it was only a 10 min walk from his apartment to the academy.

Today however, he seemed out of luck, as only 12 people greeted him without him making the offensive. Oh well, he could always go and tease Raidou or Genma to lighten up his mood. Those two had been in a significantly bad mood ever since Tsunade-sama caught them having sex on her table, a rumour that had spread to everyone 18 or older in less than 6 hours after said activity. Not that he had anything to do with it of course.

"Iruka sensei."

Iruka looked up and saw Morita-sensei holding up some files to him, and he accepted them with a formal bow and a unsure glance. Morita-sensei seemed to notice this, as he explained shortly that they were the lists of the students that would enter the academy in autumn. Iruka said a quick thank you and walked into the empty classroom where his first lesson of the day would take place. The cold, emotionless emptiness made him remember the time after his parents died , but he had learned from years of experience that he should enjoy the quiet while he had it. Because when the students started flooding in, he wouldn't have peace and quiet even if yarned for it.

3 3 3 -- SCENE BREAK -- 3 3 3

Iruka frowned as he read the names of the children that would be in his class in a few months. He always got the wildest ones, especially after having Naruto. He hoped none of them were like Naruto though. The child was a precious family member to him, but he didn't think he could bear having two Narutos at the same time. The tough of having a class full of class clowns made him smile. Not that it wouldn't be interesting though. He probably wouldn't need to feel bored with a class full of mini Narutos, or rather, they wouldn't _let_ him get bored.

It was already getting late and everyone else had already left, but he was determined to find the files of all his student by tonight, so he could read through them tomorrow. He let out a pleased cry when he found the file of Mitsushiro Zebushi, the last name on his list. He turned around and walked out the door into the hall that was called 'the hall of living hell', something the Jounins had came up with, a small hint to Tsunade about where they did _not_ want to end up. In other words, all the filing was left to the Chuunin.

He was walking through said corridor when he felt a flare of chakra. He quietly put down the files that he had held in his arms and masked his chakra while pulling a kunai from his leg holster. Everyone else had already left, and there was no reason for anyone to visit the building this late at night. In other words, there shouldn't be anyone but him here anymore. The flare of chakra had been what caught his attention, but now that he concentrated on it, he could feel smaller, irregular flares. He frowned as he though about the different courses of action.

Suddenly he heard something hitting one of the tables that was lined a few doors away a 'splash' kind of sound and then he was able to distinguish a dark feature leaning against the wall about 20 meters across the hall. What hit him next was the scent of blood, a _lot_ of blood, and a foreign smell mixing with it. _'Poison,'_ his mind identified.

A small glance towards the fore-head protector affirmed that this was no enemy and carefully he advanced towards the unknown ninja. He noticed that he was dressed in what looked like a black outfit that reminded him of the one ANBU wore, with exception of the missing armors, but he wasn't sure as blood was flooding the floor, and the outfit didn't look any better, with regular cuts and wet with blood and dirt. He carefully approached the unknown character.

When he was only a few meters away, with kunai still in his grip, the intruder still hadn't acknowledged his presence. He was turned towards the wall and Iruka could now hear the rasping noise of hitched breathing.

"Who are you?"

The ninja jerked away from the wall as if startled, and for a moment Iruka stared into the most beautiful silver-grey eye before said person was by his side and had him sprawled on the floor with a kunai against his throat. Iruka's brain didn't have time to process what had happened before he had hit the floor, and he saw his own kunai several feet away where it had been chucked. Then he turned his attention towards the ninja who was still keeping the kunai on his throat, but hadn't moved since throwing him against the floor.

Iruka looked up at his eye that now seemed unfocused and un aware, and for the first time he noticed that the other eye was covered by the fore-head protector that the man wore, and immediately bells started ringing in his head. _'Hatake Kakashi.'_ The man startled and looked at him with dimmed eyes. "How do you know my name?" Iruka's eyes widened when he realized that he had said it aloud. Oh shit. The situation didn't seem too good judging by the sharpness in his words . He tried to process the situation before he started to panic and he situation got out of hand.

1.A bloody and heavily damaged, and most likely poisoned man had showed up at the storage rooms in the middle of the night

2.Said man was the Sharingan Kakashi

3.Iruka is lying on the floor with Hatake-san on him with a kunai at his throat

Great. He couldn't wait to see how this turned out. What he knew, however, was that Hatake-san needed medical attention _now_. Who knows how the poison affected his mental stability. How was it that _he_ always ended up in these situations!

"Hatake-san, calm down."

He tried to have Hatake-san to calm down so that he wouldn't accidentally slit Iruka's throat in, but it didn't seem to have been a very good idea as he felt himself being pushed even harder against the floor.

"Where are we?"

Iruka looked up with a hint of surprise when he heard those words being uttered. Hatake-san didn't know that he was inside Konoha? That would explain the hostility though. All the different possibilities of what could have happened crossed his mind, as he eyed the deadly dangerous man holding him down. He might be able to knock him out in his current state, but the idea didn't appeal too much, as he surely would die if he had underestimated Hatake's condition. His frown deepened at that. So that was left as a last resort, for now he would have to try with peaceful ways and hope that he got out of this alive.

"In Konoha." He could practically see how Hatake's brain processed the information when looking into his uncovered eye. He could only barely hear the whisper that clearly wasn't meant for him to hear. "_Konoha..."_

"Yes. Konoha. _Home."_

One last time brown eyes met the silver ones, before the silver one closed. _"Home."_

Iruka felt the other man falling and felt his panic rising in his chest when the slack body thumped against his chest. _'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!'_ He carefully sat up and lifted the body so that he could get up. One pulse check affirmed his suspicions. He was unconscious. Iruka's mind started to race as he pondered on what to do next. He thought about going to get Tsunade and not risk any further injuries by moving him, but he realised by the size of the pool of blood that surrounded them that he wouldn't survive another 10 minutes like this. If he would survive even that long.

He lifted the lifeless body in his arms, trying to be as gentle as possible, and started to run towards the hospital as fast as he ever could.

**So, here is chapter 1 of Hunting Season.** **Though you may think about it as a prelude. The other chapters will be about twice as long, and I will try to update once a week. Please review! All comments appreciated.**


	2. Meeting

**Chapter two finally out. Thanx for everyone who has supported me and reviewed! **

--- TWO DAYS LATER

He could hear a soft beeping sound from his left, as his mind tried to register where he was. It wasn't his house, that was for sure. He tried to open his right eye, keeping the left one closed out of habit, but had to close it soon after because of the overload of light that managed to send a thundering headache to his brain. Instead, he tried to figure out where he had heard that beeping sound before, as it seemed awfully familiar, but he couldn't place a finger on it. And there was that rasping sound. As if something... no someone was... breathing?

Suddenly he realised that he couldn't smell anything. None of the usual things you would expect to simply be there, at least. He realised his face was covered by something. Something that kept pushing air into his lungs, helping him breath even though he knew his chest only barely moved at each inhale and exhale. Then it klicked in his brain. It was his own breathing that he could hear. His brain suddenly started to hurt, and he became painfully aware of all the pain that he hadn't been aware of only a minute earlier. His body felt like it was on fire, burning all over.

He then heard the door to his room open, and sensed someone entereing the room. He willed his pulse and breathing to go down to the of a sleeping person, and carefully observed the doings of this mysterious person. The woman, obviously, was humming something awfully cheerful.

His thoughts were soon interrupted when he noted what the woman was doing. She was slowly walking around the room, and didn't seem to have any specific destination. What was she doing? Was she trying to coax some kind of movement from him, indicating that he hade woke up? The answer came soon when a voice from outside the room shouted, "Ayaka! Are you done cleaning that room yet?"

_'Oh...' _

This Ayaka girl shouted, a little too loudly in his opinion, "Geez, wait a second will you, I'll be done in a minute!" Damn, who taught these brats manners? If they had been taught at all.

By now his mind had cleared enough to recognize this place as, gasp, a_ hospital._ It was time for him to get some of the service that always was promised but never quite fulfilled in these hospitals. Just when the woman was passing his bed, he caught the hem of her skirt and tugged gently.

"Hey, girl-"

He was just about to ask for someone to get his book, when he was rudely interrupted by the girl that just had her skirt grabbed by a supposedly half-dead unconscious elite Jounin ninja.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

------------------------------------------ SCENE BREAK --------------------------------------------

Doctor Furui Kawazaki pushed his glasses higher on his nose with his right index finger, a habit that he repeated every time that he was stressed. And this time, the reason for his stress was the commotion caused by the Sharingan Kakashi, who had almost given a heart attack to one of the employees at the hospital. Not to mention all the patients and other people who heard the terrible screech that Ayaka had let out. He was surprised that none of the weak hearted patients had died.

He let out a huff, and exited his office as he strode towards Hatake-san's room. Hokage-sama would soon be here, and it was his duty as Hatake's doctor to be there when she arrived. He prayed that Hatake's wounds looked worse than they were, because if he stayed much longer then he was sure they wouldn't survive it without casualties.

He was just about to lock the door, when he remembered something. He hesitated for a moment before going inside and grabbing something from the down most drawer of his desk. The item was put deep in his pocket right away, and he quickly looked around to confirm that no one was watching. He would be damned if he let anyone see him holding that absolutely disgusting, unpure... _thing._

(A/N Lol, I'm sure you have guessed by now what the item was, but in case you haven't, it was the Icha Icha Paradise )

------------------------------------------ SCENE BREAK --------------------------------------------

Tsunade was walking through the halls with Shizune by her side, until they saw Kawazaki-sensei standing by a door on the left. He nodded in acknowledgement and knocked on the door before letting first the Hokage and her assistant and then himself in.

When she entered the room she was greeted by the sight of Kakashi reading his beloved Icha icha paradise while being covered in bandages all over except for small parts of his right hand and some parts of his face. When he noticed her (or rather, pretended to finally notice her) his right eye arched into a U and he used his hand (equipped with his book) to greet her with his usual hand wave, and casual "Yo".

Somehow, he managed to look even more perverted than usual, probably because of his condition and the fact that this was a hospital.

"Skip the small talk Hatake, I don't have time for any games."Kakashi suddenly changed totally, a serious look creeping to his eye and he put away the book he was holding. "Would you mind waiting outside for a moment, Kawazaki-sensei?"

He let a curt nod and disappeared out of the room. When she heard the door close, she returned her attention towards the now serious Sharingan Kakashi in front of her. She didn't know how much he remembered so she gave him the basics just in case.

"You were sent on a top secret mission to Cloud with 3 other team-mates. You were to obtain a certain scroll, which we found in your pocket after found you. However, there are no clues about your comrades."

Total silence settled in the room, Tsunade staring at Kakashi, while Kakashi's eyes wandered to the ceiling. He could remember being sent on the mission, remembered when they arrived at the borders of cloud. He could remember Nagato's and Kachiwagi's quarrels, and the night when they arrived at the hotel which they decided to make their base. But the rest was a blur. He noticed Tsunade's expecting eyes, and began telling what he knew.

"I... I don't know... I can't remember much... We were at this hotel. Shared a room, to keep as a meeting point and Nagato didn't feel too well. So he stayed inside, while we, I, Musashi and Kachiwagi, went to investigate. I... I found this woman in a bar. I followed her for hours, and then, she was going somewhere... To the sea. Yeah, I could hear the seagulls and then... It all becomes a blur. I can't remember what happened after that. Next thing I know, I'm here."

Tsunade arched her brow at the mention of the sea. Seagulls? The time where Kakashi's memories end must no doubt be when he was poisoned, or he was poisoned soon after. It had been an unknown poison so she was glad that she had been to make an antidote.

"I... See. Well, we have sent an ANBU team after them, and we hope to get a message from them soon."

And he apparently didn't remember his encounter with Iruka-sensei either. Iruka had been rather shaken up after it, which was no wonder after meeting eye to eye with the real Sharingan Kakashi, not just the person he pretends to be off duty.

"Thank you."

She had turned around and was about to leave when she heard the barely audible thanx from her fellow ninja. She stared at the door for a while before replying.

"Report to me immediately if you remember anything else."

With a sad smile se left the room, with a worried looking Shizune tailing after her.

--- THE NEXT DAY

Iruka straightened himself by his desk, thanking god that the mission room was quiet today. That gave him an excellent opportunity to pretend he was part of the furniture, while re-playing the night that had changed the way he thought about Hatake Kakashi. Despite the rumors of being a high-class assassin, and being the ultimate weapon, he had never really thought past the lazy-ass attitude the man always showed.

His earlier conversation with Tsunade still rung in his head.

Flashback 

"_Listen Iruka, as you probably already have guessed, the things that happened tonight must absolutely not leave these walls. Also, is see it of great importance that Kakashi doesn't learn about your encounter. Just let him believe that the ANBU found him outside the village walls."_

_Iruka looked up at Tsunade's eyes with a puzzled look on his face._

"_I don't understand Hokage-sama," he stared. "How does that change anything?". What Tsunade had said next was the thing that troubled him the most. _

"_I have my... reasons." She looked deep in to his eyes, and there was something in her eyes that felt familiar, but he couldn't quite explain. "For now, I have to ask you to not repeat this to anyone, **including** Hatake Kakashi. Do you understand?" What reasons could she have?_

"_Yes, Hokage-sama." _

End of Flashback 

Iruka was rather surprised over the fact how much this disturbed him. He wasn't bothered by the fact that he didn't talk with him, it was the thing that he wasn't _allowed _to talk to him that was disturbing. He felt his fingers itching when he thought about sneaking to the hospital and telling him anyways. Oh, the excitement of doing eating forbidden fruit.. He felt his smile melt into a predatory smirk when he thought about all the ways he could sneak into the hospital. He could try entering through the windows, but as ninja were submitted there all the time and the staff was well trained, he doubted it would work. Maybe dressing up as a nurse...?

Drowning into his evil mind of a prankster, Iruka didn't even notice as Genma walked up to him with a report in his hand. Genma was tired from the mission but he couldn't help notice when the usually so perfect sensei didn't react in any way. Was the teacher dreaming about a girl? Oh, Iruka was soooo going to hear about it later. Especially when he figured out who the lucky girl was.

With an evil smirk from hell he started poking the immobile teacher. With a stick. He waited for a reaction, and as he didn't get any, he took that as an encouragement to continue. So he poked harder. And faster.

KABUMF!

Before he realised what had heppened, he found himself facing the floor with a large bump on his head, and taste of blood in his throat. He slowly lifted himself to his hands, and rubbed his sore face with his thumb. Suddenly a terrible pain invaded his mouth and he started coughing up pools of red to the floor.

Iruka had awoken from his daydreams by this, and one glance at the man bent on the floor was enough to confirm his fears. 'Oh shit.'

--2 HOURS LATER-------------------------------------------------------------------

Iruka was sitting in a private hospital room and was just waiting for the doctor to finish sewing Genma's tongue. Genma was sitting at the end of the bed with his mouth open, while the doctor finished his work of sewing the hole in his tongue. Iruka was feeling a bit guilty about it since it had been his fault, but he still couldn't miss the humorous side in it. His eyes we twinkling and he tried to suppress a smile.

The doctor looked at Genma's sour expression and tried to lighted the killing intent that was radiating from Genma, but there wasn't much he could do as the teacher sitting in the chair a few meter away wasn't doing a very good job at suppressing his giggles. So he decided to try to lighten the mood by distracting.

"I _warned_ that this was going to happen one day. Be glad that you didn't pick out your brain with that senbon you insist to suck on all the time." After that he added with a smug voice, as an after thought. "You _do_ realise that they will _never_ let you live down this, don't you?"

"I 'no." The killing intent now switched upon the (innocent) doctor who only sweatdropped at theglaring man. The threat lost some of its power as he sounded like a 4 year old brat who only just learned to speak because of the numbness in his tongue.

"You know, you sound really cute when you talk with a numb tongue." The glare intensified by several notches. The doctor coughed (Iruka could swear it was to cover up a giggle) and returned to his 'professional self'. "I'm all done now. So, how did it happen?"

Iruka felt a blush rise to his cheeks when remembering it. He put his hand behind his head in a troubled gesture and felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Uh well, he startled me so I kind of hit him without thinking any further."

The Doctor looked at him with a surprised but knowing look, and gave a low whistle while reaching to his pockets as if he was searching for something, but then just leaving his hands there. He noted to himself to always keep a lot of noise when walking behind anything that looked remotely like a Chuunin teacher, just in case. "Well, anyways, you are ready to go now, but Shiranui-san; please keep that stick out of your mouth at least until your tongue has recovered. And I will not give you any painkillers, maybe the pain will help you remember why senbon aren't fit to be carried in your mouth."

With a last glare from Genma's side, Iruka and Genma left the hospital room, with Iruka bowing and thanking the doctor while Genma just gave an indifferent huff.

"Hey Genma", Iruka started, while he and Genma walked down the hallway while avoiding running nurses and injured patients. Genma looked up at Iruka wondering what why he suddenly had a serious expression on his face. Iruka turned his eyes to the floor and stopped in the middle of the hallway puzzling Genma even more."How much do you know about Hatake Kakashi?"

That was a really weird coming from the academy teacher and Genma lifted his brow as he examined Iruka's musing expression.

"Hatake Kakashi? _You_ are asking _me_ about Hatake Kakashi?"

Iruka scowled, "What's wrong with that?" He didn't understand why the other man made such a huge deal out of this.

Genma rolled his eyes before answering, "Well, geez, not that it's wrong, just how often do you think Chuunin come ask stuff like that about _him_?" Iruka's scowl deepened at this, and he pouted. "Why do you want to know anyways?"

"No reason really." Genma looked doubtful so he added, "Just curious."

"Sure you are."

That's as far as they got when they noticed a murmuring crowd that was looking at something, but Iruka couldn't see what since the crowd blocked the view. He nodded to Genma and they both walked closer and tried to get a glimpse of whatever was happening. When they got close enough they could hear the noises of couple of nurses, apparently trying to hold on to someone who was trying to break free.

"Hatake-san! You can't move around with wounds like that!" "Hatake-san, control yourself!" "Come back to bed NOW!"

Iruka and Genma sweatdropped when the view of Kakashi who was trying to break free from the hold of 3 nurses came in sight. Genma asked around, andapparently the nurses were trying to pull the heavily sedated Copy-nin back to bed. Genma really didn't want to know what they had given him, for Kakashi had it difficult to stay upright, but still he showed the power of a Konoha Jounin as the sweating nurses (and Kawazaki-sensei who joined in as they watched) weren't able to move him an inch from the spot.

One look to the Chuunin's fiery eyes confirmed Genma that he better do something unless he wanted his ass kicked (again). He stepped up and saw the tearfully thankful eyes the nurses sent him when Kakashi realised who he was and stopped struggling

"Yo", Genma greeted with Kakashi's signature wave. Kakashi studied his face with a puzzled look and waited for him to continue. "Got your ass kicked huh?"

Kakashi sensed the challenge in his words and smirked as he thought about a witty remark. "What about yourself? Finally pierced your tongue after getting slapped by a woman?" He scowled when he saw the smirk on Genma's face turn into an embarrassed smile. _Genma, enbarrassed? _No way.

"Actually, Iruka smashed me face first to the floor." Kakashi's eye widened at that. He had only been joking about getting slapped, but getting smashed to the floor, by Iruka of all people?

"...You serious?" He couldn't believe it! "As in Umino Iruka, the guy who teaches at the academy and always bitches about the slightest stain on the mission reports? The one who always uses a red pen for correcting and a blue one when writing notes? _That_ Iruka?"

"Yup." Genma was actually starting to enjoy this. He noticed the obvious discomfort of the Chuunin teacher when the matter of his senbon wound came up. And to actually be able to have Hatake Kakashi at a loss for words... Oh, the feeling of true sweetness.

"No way..."

"No really. The guy looks about as dangerous as a jealous, stuffed cat, but he's a real tiger."

"Dammit, I would'a wanted to be there with a camera."

"Hell yeah, I didn't know what hit me before I was down!"

**Cough**

The happily chatting ninja were interrupted by a very red faced Iruka and the look in his eyes just dared them to say a word.

"Hatake-san, shouldn't you be resting?"

After getting over the initial shock Genma turned to Kakashi to watch his reaction, which apparently could be described as 'very shocked'. He nudged at Kakashi with his elbow and finally he seemed to snap out of it and returned to his normal slouch. He also noted that the peopled that had gathered started to melt away as the action stopped.

"Ah, Iruka-sensei. Visiting someone?"

"Well, no actually, I came with Genma to see that he was alright, after... you know."

Iruka nudged his head towards Genma, in a manner that made it obvious that he was talking about Genma's wound in the tongue. Suddenly he thought he could briefly see a flash of sadness in Kakashi's eyes, but that wasn't possible, was it?

"I see. That's nice of you."

Iruka then decided to leave as the two Jounin seemed to get along well, and he really felt like he was invading their personal spaces. He bowed before saying a short good bye and turned around to leave.

**Please reviw! The real storyline will now begin, and it will bring many new pairings, and many new twists. Anyone who hopes a bit of SasuNaru? All requests for pairings are welcome. **

**Also, the next chapter: Two truths, One lie**

The Jounin have a drinking party, but why has Iruka been dragged there? Watch the fellow shinobi have a nightplaying a game where everyone has to uncover two truths andone lie.


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